CVE-2021-1073: Nvidia GeForce Experience Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2021-1073 Overview

CVE-2021-1073 is an information disclosure vulnerability in NVIDIA GeForce Experience that affects all versions prior to 3.23. The vulnerability exists in the login flow when a user attempts to log in using a browser while other web pages are loaded in different tabs of the same browser. This condition allows malicious web pages to gain access to the user's login session token, potentially leading to account compromise.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation allows unauthorized access to the victim's NVIDIA account session token, enabling attackers to access, alter, or delete user data associated with the compromised account.

Affected Products

• NVIDIA GeForce Experience (all versions prior to 3.23)
• Microsoft Windows (as the operating system platform)

Discovery Timeline

• 2021-06-25 - CVE-2021-1073 published to NVD
• 2024-11-21 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2021-1073

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents a session token exposure flaw in the NVIDIA GeForce Experience authentication mechanism. The root cause lies in how the application handles login sessions when the user authenticates through a web browser. When multiple browser tabs are open during the login process, the application fails to properly isolate the authentication token, making it accessible to other web pages loaded in the browser.

The vulnerability requires user interaction, as the victim must actively attempt to log in to NVIDIA GeForce Experience while having other potentially malicious web pages open. Despite this requirement, the impact is significant because successful exploitation can lead to full account takeover, allowing attackers to access sensitive user information, modify account settings, or perform actions on behalf of the compromised user.

Root Cause

The vulnerability stems from improper token handling during the browser-based authentication flow. NVIDIA GeForce Experience fails to implement adequate isolation mechanisms for session tokens when processing login requests through a web browser. This allows cross-origin web pages to intercept or access the authentication token through browser APIs or shared storage mechanisms, violating the principle of secure session management.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2021-1073 is network-based and requires the following conditions:

1. The victim must have NVIDIA GeForce Experience installed (version prior to 3.23)
2. The victim initiates a login attempt using their web browser
3. At least one other web page (potentially attacker-controlled) must be loaded in another tab of the same browser
4. The malicious page exploits the token exposure to capture the user's session credentials

The attacker does not need to be on the same network as the victim. Instead, they must lure the victim to a malicious web page that can exploit the token leakage during the authentication window. This can be achieved through phishing, malvertising, or compromised legitimate websites.

Detection Methods for CVE-2021-1073

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual login activity or unauthorized access to NVIDIA accounts
• Session token artifacts appearing in browser local storage or cookies accessible to third-party domains
• Unexpected API calls to NVIDIA services from unknown IP addresses

Detection Strategies

• Monitor browser network traffic during GeForce Experience login attempts for token exposure to unauthorized domains
• Implement endpoint detection rules for suspicious cross-origin resource sharing (CORS) violations involving NVIDIA authentication endpoints
• Review user account activity logs for signs of unauthorized access following suspicious browser sessions

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable logging for NVIDIA GeForce Experience authentication events
• Monitor endpoint security solutions for any indication of credential theft attempts
• Implement browser security policies that restrict access to sensitive authentication data across different origins

How to Mitigate CVE-2021-1073

Immediate Actions Required

• Update NVIDIA GeForce Experience to version 3.23 or later immediately
• Advise users to close all browser tabs before initiating login to GeForce Experience on older versions
• Review account activity for signs of unauthorized access and reset credentials if compromise is suspected

Patch Information

NVIDIA has released a security update addressing this vulnerability in GeForce Experience version 3.23. Users should download and install the latest version from the official NVIDIA website or through the GeForce Experience auto-update mechanism. For detailed information, refer to the NVIDIA Security Advisory.

Workarounds

• Use a dedicated browser profile or incognito/private browsing mode exclusively for NVIDIA login activities
• Ensure no other tabs are open when logging into NVIDIA GeForce Experience
• Consider disabling GeForce Experience browser-based login until the update can be applied
• Monitor NVIDIA account activity for unauthorized changes

# Verify GeForce Experience version (PowerShell)
Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\NVIDIA Corporation\Global\GFExperience" | Select-Object -Property Version

# Alternative: Check installed version via application
# Open GeForce Experience > Settings > General > Check for updates